California Adventure has been Disneyland’s right hand park for the last 20 years. It was an expansion made by the company in hopes of bringing in a wider audience and maintaining the appeal of the Anaheim park amidst the success of Walt Disney World. The park has seen many changes over the last 20 years, and continues to change as Walt would have wanted. It began as an homage to California and now is a celebration of Pixar, Disney’s right hand animation studio.

The Disneyland Parking Lot

Disneyland parking lot before California Adventure. Image from: https://ochistorical.blogspot.com/2008/01/disneyland-parking-lot-ca-1960s.html

California Adventure sits on a plot of land that was originally purchased by Walt Disney for the Disneyland parking lot. There are few photos scattered around the internet of what the area used to look like: different decades of car models sit where the entrance of California Adventure is now.

WestCOT in Anaheim

After 40 years of the highly-used parking lot, the company wanted to expand on the west coast as Walt Disney World was doing so well after its opening in 1971. Their original plan was to replicate the multi-resort layout that Disney World possessed, and bring “WestCOT” to life in place of the parking lot. WestCOT would act as the sister park to EPCOT on the west coast, to bring more immersive experiences and fulfill wants that EPCOT was lacking. However, after the failure that was Euro Disney in 1992, budgets were cut and the Disney company had to improvise a new idea for the space. Michael Eisner held a large meeting with the executives to brainstorm ideas for a new theme for the park. They collectively decided on a celebration of the history and culture of California, including shopping and dining experiences. Thus, California Adventure was born.

Plans for WestCOT that were never developed. Image from: https://www.yesterland.com/westcot2.html

California Adventure’s Opening Day Attractions

Construction for the park began in January 1998, and the park was officially opened on February 8th, 2001. There were 5 million guests who attended the grand opening, less than what Disneyland experienced 46 years earlier. The beginning stages of the park included 22 attractions, 15 restaurants, and 4 “lands” or “districts”. These included:

Animation Academy
The Bakery Tour
Bountiful Valley Demonstration Farm
California Screamin
Character Close-Up
Golden Dreams
Golden Zephyr
Grizzly River Run
It’s Tough to be a Bug
Jumpin’ Jellyfish
King Triton’s Carousel
Maliboomer
Mission Tortilla Factory
Mulholland Madness
Muppet*Vision 3D
Orange Stinger
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail
S. S. Rustworthy
Soarin’ Around California
Sorcerer’s Workshop

Something that was criticized heavily after the few weeks of the park being open was the lack of rides for children, and the lack of night-time shows and parades. Guests weren’t sure what exactly to do in the park as the lands weren’t cohesive and there weren’t as many rides as Disneyland had. Disney slowly started to add things such as Disney’s Electrical Parade in 2001 to 2010, and World of Color from 2010 to the present day.

California Adventure’s Opening Day Districts

The park looks close to nothing like it did 20 years ago, as the theme was so broad it could be adapted for many changes. Even original Imagineers who worked on the design of the park admitted that it was lacking in many areas and could be confusing to anyone who wasn’t involved in the design process. Nevertheless, different elements of California were scattered throughout the park for the public to notice.

The entry of the park, Entry Plaza (later known as Sunshine Plaza), was meant to replicate a postcard in real life. With big letters that spelled out California across the entry way and a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as a large sun sculpture with a fountain attached. The next land was Hollywood Pictures Backlot, which included a few rides and many shows such as Who Wants to be a Millionaire - Play It! and Muppet*Vision 3D.

Sunshine Plaza. Image from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4D6LMRDMFQ

Golden State was one of the biggest areas of the park, as it housed 6 different themed areas around the park. These areas include Condor Flats, Grizzly Peak, Bountiful Valley Farm, Golden Vine Winery, The Bay Area, and Pacific Wharf.

Golden State. Image from: https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Golden_State

One of the only lands that is completely removed is A Bug’s Land, to make way for the all-new Avengers Campus expected to open in 2021. A Bug’s Land began as Bountiful Valley Farm, and slowly transitioned after the opening of Flik’s Fun Fair in 2002.

California Adventure in 2021

Since the closing of Disneyland in Anaheim mid-March 2020, the park has not reopened to the public. There was a phased reopening of the Downtown Disney District (which is also celebrating it’s 20th anniversary this year), and more recently, the entrance to California Adventure has also reopened. Entering with free admission, you’re able to experience the new shop Backlot Premiere Shop, Trolley Treats, Elias & Co., Julius Katz & Sons, Kingswell Camera Shop, and Off the Page.

The park will be met with all new lands and attractions once it is deemed safe to re-enter. Happy 20th anniversary to a celebration of culture, classics, and the sun!